SSU NewsCenterhttp://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/
Sonoma State University's news and information hubenCopyright 2015Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:17:43 -0800http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationHow Giant Flying Dinosaurs 'Breathed in a Box'Sonoma State University biology professor Nick Geist published his work on the lung structure and functioning of the flying reptile Pterosaurs in an article entitled "Breathing in a Box" in the journal Anatomical Record. The research was also recently profiled in Brian Switek's' National Geographic blog Phenomena.]]>http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/how-giant-flying-dinosaurs-breathed-in-a-box.html
http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/how-giant-flying-dinosaurs-breathed-in-a-box.htmlHomepageTue, 28 Jul 2015 16:17:43 -0800Hutchins Professor Janet Hess Releases Two BooksThough the topics and approach are vastly different, Sonoma State University professor Janet Hess finds similarities in the sense of place and culture in the two books she released this year.

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/hutchins-professor-janet-hess-releases-two-books.htmlHomepageFri, 24 Jul 2015 10:30:35 -0800More Than 100 to Graduate Nursing Certificate Program With Guaranteed JobsSonoma State University's Nursing Transition into Practice Certificate Program started three years ago with 38 students. Next month, 109 students will be completing the 10-week course that has a 98 percent job placement rate.

"There's been a wave of retirements in the nursing community," says SSU nursing department chair Deborah Roberts. "We need an avalanche of new nurses."

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/more-than-100-graduate-nursing-certificate-program-with-guaranteed-jobs.htmlHomepageThu, 23 Jul 2015 10:31:37 -0800Friendship Study Points to Greater Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Acceptance"People's friendships aren't as different as they may seem," says Sonoma State University sociology professor Brian Gillespie, the lead author of a 25,000-subject friendship study published June 18 in the journal PLoS One. "There are, in fact, some noteworthy similarities."

It was those similarities that surprised Gillespie in the paper, Homophily, Close Friendship, and Life Satisfaction Among Gay, Lesbian, Heterosexual, and Bisexual Men and Women. "There are fewer significant differences between gay men, lesbians, and bisexual men and women and how they utilize their friendships than we expected," he says.

"The fact that these similarities exist, where we originally expected some differences based on gender composition, friendship type, and sexual orientation, points to greater gender egalitarianism and gay, lesbian and bisexual acceptance," says Gillespie.

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/friendship-study-points-to-greater-gay-lesbian-and-bisexual-acceptance.htmlHomepageMon, 20 Jul 2015 09:46:54 -0800Pluto Mission Signals 'Many Successes Yet to Come' From NASAWith NASA's flyby of Pluto, the United States became the first nation to visit every planet in the solar system. Sonoma State University physics and astronomy professor Thomas Targett weighs in on the new images and their importance to space exploration.]]>http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/pluto-mission-signals-many-successes-yet-to-come-from-nasa.html
http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/pluto-mission-signals-many-successes-yet-to-come-from-nasa.htmlHomepageTue, 14 Jul 2015 12:26:48 -0800SSU Student-Athletes Earn Highest GPA in School's HistorySonoma State University student-athletes recorded the highest grade point average in the school's athletics history in 2014-15 academic year. The 290 student-athletes combined to earn a 3.037 GPA, with 55 Seawolves earning All-Academic honors.

"Our top priority has always been academic excellence," said Bill Fusco, senior director of intercollegiate athletics at SSU. "To see the unprecedented effort put forth by our student-athletes this past year is quite impressive. We are extremely proud of their individual and collective efforts to not only excel in competition, but to excel in the classroom as well."

The new title comes as part of the Wine Business Institute Board's effort to support the growth of the institute and its academic and research programs. "I am pleased to grant this well-deserved title of Distinguished Professor of Wine to Liz Thach," said Ruben Armiñana, president of Sonoma State University. "Her accomplishments as a professor and Master of Wine make her the ideal candidate to carry out the initiatives of the Wine Business Institute within the scope of this new role."]]>http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/master-of-wine-liz-thach-honored-as-ssu-distinguished-professor-of-wine.html
http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/master-of-wine-liz-thach-honored-as-ssu-distinguished-professor-of-wine.htmlHomepageMon, 13 Jul 2015 10:53:42 -0800SSU Announces 2015 Hall of Fame InducteesThe 2015 induction class of the SSU Athletics Hall of Fame includes Andrew Bailey, Chelsea Hennan, Kevin Wong, Kristy Sather, Benjamin Ziemer and Marlene Bles. The group will be honored for their athletic excellence and contributions to the history of Sonoma State University athletics at a ceremony in the Student Center on October 24.]]>http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/ssu-announces-2015-hall-of-fame-inductees.html
http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/ssu-announces-2015-hall-of-fame-inductees.htmlHomepageFri, 10 Jul 2015 08:02:32 -0800Faces of SSU Enhances Diversity Awareness on CampusThe 26 student leaders representing the Faces of SSU campaign at Sonoma State University want you to know something: "We are more than what you see."

The goal of Faces of SSU is to raise diversity awareness on campus. That includes diversity of ethnicity, gender and experiences. "Not everyone's experience at SSU is the same," says Mo Phillips, director of Campus Life at SSU. "Faces of SSU is an opportunity for us to look a little deeper into a student's experience. It's an opportunity to see past who you think I am, and see who I really am."

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/07/faces-of-ssu.htmlHomepageTue, 07 Jul 2015 16:11:02 -0800Global Scientific Community Comes Together to Preserve GalapagosSonoma State University geology professor Matt James is passionate about the Galapagos Islands' importance to the scientific community. But he's not just telling his students about it--James organized an international symposium to ensure the birthplace of the theory of evolution continues to yield important discoveries for future generations.

The three-day symposium brought researchers and conservationists from around the globe to San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences at the 100th meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Pacific Division last week.

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/06/global-scientific-community-comes-together-to-save-galapagos.htmlHomepageWed, 24 Jun 2015 09:01:51 -080010 Things You Didn't Know About BollywoodSure, you know Bollywood films are from India, and you probably know they involve a lot of singing and dancing. But here are some things you might not know, courtesy of Sonoma State University theater and film professor Ajay Gehlawat, whose new book, 21st Century Bollywood, correlates with his recent Bollywood and Globalization class.

1. All Bollywood films are from India, but not all Indian films are Bollywood films. There are other regional film industries, in Madras, Calcutta and other regions, and many eschew the songs and big-budget production that are staples of Bollywood films.

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/06/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-bollywood.htmlHomepageWed, 17 Jun 2015 12:29:06 -0800SSU Educators Invited to White House for National Week of MakingSonoma State University's School of Education was invited to the White House Friday morning to discuss the Obama administration's Maker Schools Alliance. U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith and Maker movement founder Dale Doughtery were among the those speaking at the conference, which included representatives from a wide variety of groups like the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the World Bank and many others.

"It was an honor to be one of the 100 invitees to this conference," said Carlos Ayala, Dean of the School of Education at Sonoma State. "Everyone needs equal access to the economic engine of the United States. This conference demonstrated that Making is a path that is clearly focused on that goal."

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/06/ssu-educators-invited-to-white-house-for-national-week-of-making.htmlHomepageTue, 16 Jun 2015 10:19:59 -0800Beetles Still Yielding New Discoveries for Biology ProfessorSonoma State biology professor Nathan Rank visits Bishop so often, "it's almost like a second home," he says, speaking on a spotty cell phone connection from the eastern California mountain town of Bishop. He's been spending summers surrounded by breathtaking scenery of the Sierra Nevada since 1984 studying the montane leaf beetle, and will continue to do so for the next three years thanks to a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

"We are looking at how genetic differentiations within populations might help survive a really wet or dry year." He adds, "Since this year is extremely dry year, we are making sure to document the populations very carefully."

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http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/06/beetles-still-yielding-new-discoveries-for-biology-professor.htmlHomepageSpotlightFri, 12 Jun 2015 09:45:48 -0800Ensuring Success For Migrant StudentsFor students across the nation, graduating from high school is a celebratory achievement. This task is made much more difficult for children of migrant farm workers and low-income families with no knowledge in guiding their kids to obtain higher education. To counteract the disadvantages facing migrant students, Sonoma State University has created a program modeled after the California Mini-Corps program called the Migrant Education Advisor Program (MEAP).]]>http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/06/ensuring-success-for-migrant-students.html
http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2015/06/ensuring-success-for-migrant-students.htmlHomepageSpotlightMon, 08 Jun 2015 09:00:49 -0800Kelsey Hull Named 2014-15 CCAA Female Athlete of the YearSonoma State University volleyball senior Kelsey Hull has been named the 2014-15 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Female Athlete of the Year.

A three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American and the 2014 CCAA Volleyball Most Valuable Player, Hull led the Seawolves to their first-ever CCAA and NCAA West Region titles last fall.